Breaking new trail for workers' rights & social justice.

Menu

Tag Archives: Public Service Alliance of Canada

I looked forward to my visit to the Yukon this summer because it gave me another opportunity to meet with members in Whitehorse, Pelly Crossing, Stewart, Carmacks and Dawson. It was great to chat with workers from Wildland Fire Management and to hear the concerns of volunteer community EMS workers. I always learn a lot when I can visit worksites and talk to members on the job.

I attended the KVA Local Y018 AGM – what an active and engaged local! Every position on their Executive went to an election, with three or four nominees named on each ballot. That’s impressive, and encouraging.

Speaking with Parks Canada members at the Dawson and Whitehorse community barbecues was a highlight of my trip, and an important reason I came north this summer. The PSAC is keeping up the pressure on our federal government to pay its workers correctly – every time. We have secured employer compensation for out-of-pocket expenses for things like banking fees or interest charges due to late or missed payments, as well as support for people on disability, maternity, and parental leave.

It’s important for members affected by Phoenix to know what we are doing to support them, and to hold the government to account. Critical to many affected federal workers is the emergency salary advance; an advance is to be made available within 24-48 hours of request by an underpaid worker. Those requests must be made through the employer, but please notify the PSAC to inform us of pay issues experienced by any federal employee in the territory. Please contact me directly at aylwardc@psac-afpc.com, or contact the PSAC’s National Executive Vice President Magalie Picard at picardm@psac-afpc.com

What is happening in Yukon’s Department of Health & Social Services is appalling. This is a department responsible for the well-being and care of children and youth! Their decision to fire whistle-blowers after promising safety illustrates the fact that they cannot be trusted. The dishonesty they displayed shutting down the ISSY office under completely false pretenses can’t be ignored. PSAC and YEU demand that any reports or recommendations arising from the current third party investigation be made public.

YEU has been calling attention to the lack of staffing and support for workers and youth in residential care settings for years, but the department didn’t take action until the press got involved. Now, the issue has gained national attention and the department’s actions are being closely watched around the county. We will continue to monitor the situation alongside Brother Geick and YEU and if needed, we will request federal intervention. If the results of the investigations are not made public, no-one will have any confidence in anything that department says.

Finally, I sincerely hope you will get involved in your union. Be knowledgeable about the issues your co-workers face. I got involved almost 30 years ago when I worked as a member of the Union of Taxation Employees, and I’ve never regretted that decision. It’s one thing to complain, but unless you are willing to be part of the solution, you’re not helping anyone. It’s workers like you who make up the YEU and the PSAC – workers like you who make a difference.

Monday April 30 was a very important day at the 18th Triennial Convention of the PSAC. Revered Senator Murray Sinclair, past chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was keynote speaker. He spoke of painful issues with great dignity and gentle humour, sharing his insights into the reality of life for many indigenous people. Generations of residential schools, racists policies and systemic discrimination worked to eradicate indigenous culture and any sense of cultural identity or pride. The damage done by over 100 years of this genocide impacts all of us even now, and was spoken to very powerfully by indigenous delegates who bravely shared their stories.

A multi-media performance entitled No More Stolen Sistersemployed video, music and dance to honour the Murdered and Missing Indigenous wives, daughters, mothers and sisters lost forever.

The fact finding meeting is over; you may never hear about the issue again, or the employer notifies you that they have come to a conclusion and you’re called for a follow up meeting.

During the meeting your supervisor reads out loud and presents a letter of expectation (LOE); welcome to the performance management stream and the right of the employer to reaffirm the roles, responsibilities and accountability of your position within public service in Yukon.

Firstly, a letter of expectation is not discipline. While it may feel like discipline (and trust me I know this feeling, having been through this process), it is not intended to be, nor is it a disciplinary action.

A properly formatted letter of expectation should clearly outline the issues the employer has identified that need to be rectified, the changes they would like to see, the timeline for this change and the support and resources for assisting with process.

What happens after I receive this letter?

This is a shared responsibility; you as a public servant have been advised of your employment expectations and you should seek to meet the mark. It will feel like there is extra scrutiny on you and this is natural and actually accurate, but not in the “I’m gonna get you” way.

After an LOE is delivered the employer is watching you, not to note your failure but to ensure your success. It is incumbent on the employer to assist you in meeting the requirements of your position and the expectations that have been outlined.

YTG (the employer) needs to provide access to support and resources to ensure you are successful. Bear in mind you are a big part of this success and it is incumbent on you to meet the requirements of your job contract with YTG. As the cliché goes it takes two to tango and for the most part you are the lead in the dance.

How long does the LOE stay in my file?

As letters of expectation are not discipline they are not part of your file. When it comes to your “file” you only have one and this is held at the Public Service Commission (you can make an appointment to see your file with PSC if you would like to review your public service employment file).

Your LOE will be held by your supervisor and will not be in your “file” but will be kept for reference for the timeline provided in the letter. An LOE will be deemed complete at your next PPP (Personal Performance Plan) provided the issues have been resolved and have not continued. Now, if the behavior in the letter continues, this can open up the disciplinary stream (which I will cover in another post). But we all know that this won’t be an issue……..right?

A few other details….

Letters of expectation do not always come from fact finding meetings. Employment behaviors can be noted and dealt with outside of fact finding meetings and delivered at the discretion of the employer.

Union representation is not required at the presentation of an LOE as they are not disciplinary, however, it is recommended by YTG that if it will be of benefit to the employee YEU representation can be in attendance.

As always, if there are questions or concerns call the YEU office at 667 2331 or call me directly at 334 4331, remembering there is a timeline for issues of approximately 20 days, so call early and get the answers.

Community Nursing Stations serve the medical needs of residents and visitors in some of the most isolated corners of the Yukon. In the absence of multiple healthcare facilities, these clinics offer a dizzying array of services from first response to referral. When doctors visit from Whitehorse, the health centres get even busier. Community Nurses provide prenatal care, counselling, nutrition support, maternal health programming, diabetes education and more.

Year after year more programs are added to the responsibilities of Community nurses with no increase in staffing to reflect the added workload. Consequently, nurses are frustrated and burning out; there simply aren’t enough hours in the day. They are relied upon heavily by local RCMP detachments and work hand in hand with social services and First Nations. In communities with volunteer EMS teams, the nurses must frequently step in to fill the gap when volunteers are unavailable and resources are few.

Nurses are at daily risk of workplace violence. In small communities they face dramatically increased incidences of physical & verbal abuse on the job. Respite is critical to ensure these workers stay healthy. Time away from the intense stress levels of a sometimes 24/7 job can make the difference between doing the job well and suffering a tremendous physical and emotional toll.

In June of this year PSAC’s Regional REVP and National Vice President travelled to several Yukon Community Health Centres with me. Their conversations with nurses in those centres were sobering.

Despite improvements to Collective Agreement language in recent contracts, the employer continues to deny earned vacation leave to exhausted nurses, citing “operational requirements” and lack of staffing. Staffing levels are a genuine concern. When a nurse works an on-call shift rotation lasting up to 10 days, the resultant lack of sleep and downtime can be nearly debilitating and there’s often no relief in sight.

Nurses tell us that vacant positions remain un-filled; medical centres that are intended to be staffed by 2 nurses at all times frequently rely on a single nurse with no back-up. A 7 day work week is the rule and not the exception and a knock on the nurse’s door at home in the middle of the night is all too common. No matter how far in advance leave is requested it is often denied simply because there is no-one available to cover. Nurses often seek coverage themselves, in fact, before applying for vacation.

These nurses fill a vital role in the communities they serve. Their level of personal sacrifice is testament to their degree of commitment and professionalism, but there must be relief in sight. As YEU and YG enter bargaining this year there is hope that some of the chronic issues plaguing Community Nursing will be resolved.

Unfortunately there is only so much we can accomplish at the bargaining table. The issues Community Nurses face will only be resolved if the Yukon Government steps up, takes notice and shows the political will to do so. Nurses simply cannot continue to provide the level of care they so desperately want to, that all Yukoners expect and deserve, with ever dwindling numbers and little hope of meaningful change. YEU’s voice and the voice of the nurses will only go so far. If you live in a community or have ever had to rely on this amazing group of professionals I urge you to write to your MLA, the Premier, the Minister of Health and any other entity that will listen. It’s your health, your family’s health and that of the nurses at stake. Ultimately it’s up to the politicians to ensure adequate healthcare resources are available to everyone…especially those providing the care.

In the meantime, we salute all nurses for the important and difficult work they do.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada launches an online membership poll

PSAC will soon be conducting an important poll of the membership as part of its ongoing process to ensure that your voices are heard and that your priorities are reflected in the work of our union. Members of the Yukon Employees’ Union are component members of the PSAC and may be contacted to participate.

Environics Research Group, a well-known and respected polling firm, will be conducting the online survey for PSAC, asking questions about union priorities.

Here are some things you should know about the survey:

The survey will be sent by email to members whose email is up to date in our database as as of January 20, 2015.

A random sample of members from all of our union’s bargaining units will be contacted.

Members who are contacted may accept or decline to participate in the survey.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Individual information collected through the survey is confidential. Also, responses are anonymous – at no time will the opinions of individual members be identified.

If you receive an email to participate in the survey, we hope you’ll click yes. Your opinions are important!

The PSAC Social Justice Fund invites you to participate in the next Education In Action project in Guatemala for 2 weeks in spring, March 6 – 20, 2015. The Education In Action (EIA) organization is supported in part by the PSAC Social Justice Fund and engages Canadian volunteers to deepen their understanding of Guatemala, building solidarity by working closely with the Comité Campesino del Altiplano (CCDA) who are strengthening communities in Guatemala.

The PSAC Social Justice Fund (SJF) Sponsorship program will subsidize the costs of participation for 4 PSAC Youth members (aged 18-30). Each subsidy of up to $2500 covers the project participation fee and contributes to travel costs, food and accommodation while in Guatemala. This subsidy does not cover loss of salary.

In addition to the 4 youth subsidies, the project is open to all PSAC members who are able to cover their own airfare expenses plus $600 participation fee (covers travel, food and accommodation in Guatemala).

EIA has inspired many PSAC members to get involved in meaningful solidarity with Guatemala. Twenty-seven PSAC members have participated in the program to build homes for impoverished families in the rural areas of the Guatemalan highlands. So far, 82 homes, 3 community centres and 3 schools have been built since 2006, when the program was founded by former PSAC member Roberto Miranda. Through EIA, members have an opportunity to work side-by-side with Indigenous families who are members of a Guatemalan farmers’ cooperative, the Campesino Committee of the Highlands (CCDA), a grassroots organization working with Mayan farmers to improve their livelihoods.

The CCDA has been defending the economic, social and cultural rights of the Mayan people since 1982, struggling for equitable land distribution, carrying out sustainable agricultural development, and encouraging the economic empowerment of women.

The CCDA also produces the organic and fairly traded coffee, Café Justicia, sold by volunteers across Canada. Café Justicia is made available to members through the Social Justice Fund office in Ottawa. All proceeds are designated for the housing program, paying the salary of a full-time school teacher, improving access to potable water and food security for the population.http://education-in-action.squarespace.com/

Over the last few years, many rural families in Guatemala have faced a food crisis due to a serious drought and an aggressive blight that has destroyed the coffee harvest throughout Central America. Small producers have recorded major losses and many jobs have been lost.

Since 2006, 27 members of the PSAC have participated in the delegations to Guatemala organized by the SJF and Education in Action. Members from AGR, CEIU, NHU, UCTE, UEW,
UNDE, UNE, UNW, UPCE, UTE, and YEU.

If you’re a member of YEU, chances are that’s an accident. You got a job in a “union shop” where workers had already decided to unionize, often many years before you were hired. As a new employee you were given a union card to sign and a Collective Agreement – your contract with those who write your paycheque. Maybe you signed the card and mailed it to the union, maybe you didn’t. Either way, because of where you work you are unionized. You pay union dues and are protected by a collective agreement whether you think about it or not. Maybe you think it’s great to have a union job; better pay, better working conditions and probably a pension. Maybe you don’t give union membership a thought; you get a newsletter now and again and every few years someone tries to get you out to a contract ratification meeting. Whatever; sometimes you notice, sometimes you don’t.

What does it mean to be a union member if you don’t really care one way or another? Is union membership something you identify with? Do you consider yourself “union”? Many of our members don’t like to think of themselves as “union”. We’re curious about that. We’re curious about the kind of disinterest that allows some to accept all the benefits of membership on the one hand while disassociating on the other or worse, calling out unions as bad or selfish, greedy or political. Most of the advantages we take for granted are the direct result of union membership. We’re not talking about the historical gains of unions long ago but the actions of your union representatives now – every day, every year and through every single round of bargaining. The contract you enjoy is the result of an ongoing act of will – a series of determined actions by colleagues whose names you don’t know. Maybe you do know who they are, in fact, but because they’re “union” you don’t associate too closely with them.

Look around the country at what’s happening to unionized workers at every level of the professional and pay scale. If you pay attention to what’s been happening in to the teachers in BC or to fast food industry workers, bullied and pushed around by huge multinationals making billions in profit you can see that those with the money hold the power. The tide of profitability will carry away workers who are not organized. Being organized, being in a union is the only real power available to workers. Solidarity is not just a song… it’s an adhesive force that allows workers the strength to hold on to what they’ve got. Don’t think for a minute that the benefits you enjoy as a union member would continue unchanged if unions suddenly evaporated. What would possess any employer to willingly eat into their bottom line with the kind of pay and benefits unions have secured?

If you disagree with labour’s political agenda it’s important to think that through. The labour movement IS political by its very nature. The labour movement has had to be a political force since the very first collective was formed. Then as now, no business owners wanted unions to gain a foothold. Intense pressure was put on governments to staunch workers’ power a hundred years ago and that pressure has only intensified.

Business interests, corporations, commercial advocacy groups and industry lobbyists work the political system hard to ensure their way is clear. Legislation is constantly being changed, tweaked or neutered so big business can keep making big money. They have millions, even billions of dollars to advance their agendas. Unions have to fight back.

Labour will continue to be political; YEU/PSAC will continue to be political because it’s all we’ve got. We must push lawmakers and legislators to keep the needs of workers, of average Canadian families on their collective radars. We won’t tell you who we think you should vote for. We WILL support candidates and parties whose platforms promote workers’ rights. We WILL call out and challenge those parties & officials who ignore the rights of Canadian workers. If Labour stepped out of politics completely, the loudest voices governments would hear would be the strident and insistent demands of those who already have all the power in this country; the corporations.

Maybe you feel your dues shouldn’t go to support any political activity by your union. Maybe you don’t want to read about it in your newsletter or see your union involved in political action in the community. We respect your opinion. We also respect your right to a strong Collective Agreement, to collective bargaining rights and to a decent pension. So we will continue to agitate, advocate and work on behalf of Canadian workers. Labour will continue to push against laws that strip away protections and undermine the ability of unions to ensure our members jobs and lives are protected.

You may not be “union” but if you enjoy a union paycheque, union benefits and the security of a negotiated contract, guess what? Even those members who aren’t “union” – we’ll keep right on fighting for you too.